Lawmaker criticized over gas chamber video

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WASHINGTON — Officials at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland denounced a video by a Republican lawmaker that was filmed at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

Louisiana’s Rep. Clay Higgins, who serves on the House homeland security committee, is facing criticism after recording a video published online in a former gas chamber.

In a response to his video, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial’s official account tweeted, “Everyone has the right to personal reflections. However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence. It’s not a stage.”

The account then followed up with a photo from the concentration camp that asks visitors to “maintain silence” to “respect the memory” of those who died.

Everyone has the right to personal reflections. However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence. It's not a stage. https://t.co/AN5aA1bYEU

CNN has reached out to Higgins’ office for comment but has not yet received a response.

In the video, Higgins walks through the property and explains why he thinks it’s important to remember those who died in the chambers.

“A great sense of dread comes over you in this place,” Higgins said in the video while touring the site. “Man’s inhumanity to man can be quite shocking.”

He continued later: “It’s hard to walk away from the gas chambers and ovens without a very sober feeling of commitment — unwavering commitment — to make damn sure that the United States of America is protected from the evils of the world.”